Thunderstorms
by Redhead Rikku
Summary: After a long journey with her friends, Rikku finds herself with little to do. So, she takes a job at the Machine Faction hoping to re-connect with Gippal, until she meets Gippal's perfect girlfriend Mara. Rippal
1. Rikku's POV

**So, I don't own anything! Square does! :) Enjoy!**

"Thunderstorms"  
By Redhead Rikku

Rikku's P.O.V.

I awake with a jump and sit up on my cot, startled. Duh. Another thunderstorm was starting and the thunder was much louder in Besaid than it was in Djose temple. I look around in the dark, Paine lies still on her cot. She hardly even looks like she's breathing. _'Well, since I'm awake now anyways'_ I slide off my cot and crawl over to Paine's cot. When I reach it, I poke my head up so it's level with her face on the pillow. I listen. '_Yup, still breathing,_' I giggle when I start to crawl away and hear Paine mutter Baralai's name in her sleep. We were in Besaid for Yuna's wedding. With Tidus back she was happier than ever and he had become more like a brother to me than my own brother.

The Wedding was supposed to be today but Baralai, Nooj, and Gippal, along with the priest were stuck in Kilika Island because of the first thunderstorm of the day. They were supposed to have arrived already but I was just hoping that when they arrived they would tell us Gippal and his date had been struck by lightning. Well…maybe just his date.

I had been working in Djose for a couple of months now, mostly because Brother was getting on my nerves moping about Yunie and Tidus and if I wasn't being a Gullwing, I needed something else to do. Gippal had welcomed me happily. I was excited because I was HOPING we'd be able to get back to the place we were before I left for Yunie's pilgrimage and he left for the Crimson Squad. I spent my first day at work trying to think of what I could say to him. It was hard to think because he kept flirting with me while I was trying to think…I mean…work. He'd keep his hand on mine a little longer than he should have when we reached for the same tool. I caught him staring at my butt more than once. I figured I had him until SHE walked in.

Mara was perfect. And rare for an Al Bhed, she has dark brown hair instead of our characteristic blonde. And her eyes were wrong. She CLAIMS she's half Al Bhed but every time I ask about who her Al Bhed mother was she just says 'You wouldn't know her.' Wouldn't know her?! I'm only like the freaking Al Bhed PRINCESS. If we had such a thing, that is. She was lying, I knew it, everyone who worked at the temple knew it, hell even Tidus knew it, and THAT's saying something. The only person who didn't know it, or refused to believe it, was Gippal.

I sat back down on my caught at the same time that I heard a noise outside. "They're back." Paine said, lifting her head from her pillow.

"I know." I say. What to do, what to do? Paine would definitely be awake for a while with Baralai. I giggled at the thought, they were so different, but perfect for each other. Maybe that was why Gippal and I would never be together. Speak of the devil. Gippal and Mara chose that exact moment to walk into the tent, Baralai a few steps behind. We were all sharing a tent to save space. Yuna offered for me to stay with her, but I wanted her and Tidus to have some time together.

"Hey guys!" Gippal smiled, remembering to be quiet with his arm around Mara's waist. _Here we go._

"Hey Rikku, guess you're the only single one in our tent." Mara smiled. That bitch was taunting me.

"Yup. Just means I get to scope out all the hot single guys at the wedding." I put on my happy Rikku face.

"Well, If you don't find one (meaning she doubted I would), I'll let you steal a dance with Gippal (Cause she had him, and I didn't)," Her stupid, no swirl, fake Al Bhed green eyes, stared right into my real Al Bhed green ones, the whole time. That was it, I was out of there. At least until everyone else was asleep.

"I'm going out. I'll see you guys in the morning." And I walked right out of the tent without another word. I heard Gippal call me, but I ignored him. I shouldn't have to put up with this crap.

I may have thought that leaving the nice, perfect temperature was a good idea until I realized how cold it was; And that there was a thunderstorm coming. Well shit. There was no turning back now so I figured I'd just have to deal. I made my way towards the closest beach, running through ways I could dispose of Mara and get the smallest punishment. I missed the old Gippal. I missed the old, old Gippal even more. But I'd talk the old, womanizing Gippal over this current Gippal if it would get rid of she-who-must-not-be-named.

Upon reaching the beach I sit on the sand. It's still warm from the little bit of sun we got today, so I decide to lay down. Maybe I'd just sleep out here, better than being in the tent. I close my eyes, thinking about the beautiful wedding that's happening tomorrow. I didn't get to help with the planning as much as I wanted to but I did get the help pick out Yunie's dress and the bridesmaid dresses. Mine was yellow, but we didn't think we'd be able to convince Paine to wear yellow so hers was black.

I was about to drift off when I felt a blanket being placed on me and someone's hand push a stray piece of my hair away from my face, as they sat down next to me. I definitely wasn't alone anymore.

**R&R Please! I should have the next chapter up soon! I'm already writing it! :)**


	2. Gippal's POV

***Thanks for the reviews and everything! Here's chapter two, it's from Gippal's perspective and it's a bit longer than chapter one. Enjoy!***

Gippal's P.O.V.

**-Hours Earlier-**

'_Damn Thunderstorms,'_ I thought to myself, we wouldn't be making it to Besaid anytime soon. I heard light footsteps behind me.

"Hey honey," It was Mara, I looked to my side, towards her, as she interlocked her arm with mine, "Why don't you come inside? It's raining."

"I'll join you in a bit. I just wanna spend some more time out here." I smile at her and then look back up at the sky.

"Alright, but you'll get sick before the wedding," Mara removed her arm and headed inside, "I'll never understand why you like the rain so much."

I smiled to myself. Mara would never let me set foot in the rain again if I told her why I liked it so much. I could imagine it now: "Well Mara, I love the rain because of my ex-girlfriend who happens to work for me and is only like my best friend and who I still have these confusing feelings for." Yeah. That would go over famously.

I loved the rain because of Rikku. This storm, however, was about to turn into a thunderstorm which was NOT something that Rikku liked which is why I agreed to go back inside after a bit.

-----

"_Come on Rikku, you're gonna get us both sick!" I yelled to my best friend. We were 14 and 15, and in Luca with our families, some Al Bhed politics stuff. People looked at us strangely, not because we were Al Bhed, they really had no way to tell in the darkness of the storm, but because we were the only ones NOT heading for shelter._

"_Can we just stay out a little longer? Please?" Rikku skipped to where I was, pouting. She knew I wouldn't deny her. _

_I sighed. She took that as a yes and pulled me out further into the rain. _

_Rikku kept dragging me along until we reached a bench in the street, near the Travel Agency we were staying at, where she let go of me and sat down. She looked up towards the sky, eyes closed, and just let the rain splash her face. _

_I smiled at her, remaining standing, my stomach full of butterflies. "Rikku?" I said quietly. I had this feeling I should do something but, I wanted to make sure she was OK with it first._

"_Hmm?" She questioned, not moving or opening her eyes._

"_Um…Can I...I mean…May I…well…Would it be alright…if…I kissed you?" I scratched the back of my neck, awaiting her answer._

_Rikku's eyes opened slowly. She paused, looking into my eyes, and then smiled. "Yes."_

_And before I could even do anything, she was standing, eyes closed again, waiting for me._

_I had wanted to do this for such a long time. Slowly, I leaned towards her, and at the very last moment closed my eyes as well as our lips met for the first time of many._

_----_

There was only one way I could describe that first kiss with Rikku: Fireworks; And I'd never had another kiss that held as much feeling as a kiss did when I was kissing her.

There was a flash of lightening in front of me, followed shortly by the sound of thunder. I laughed to myself as I headed back inside, why did I always let myself get so caught up in thinking about Rikku?

**-Hours later-**

We finally made it to Besaid before the second storm started. It was dark, late but I was sure Paine and Rikku would still be up, or at least wake up to welcome us.

"I'll show you to your tent." Baralai said to the priest that we had brought to marry Yuna and Tidus. I chuckled, Baralai was always a gentleman.

"Thank you." The priest replied. I stood still for a moment, waiting for Baralai to re-emerge from the tent. Mara wrapped her arms around me, resting her head on my shoulder. She was nearly as tall as me, taller when she wore certain heels. I generally went for smaller girls but the day I met Mara, which was also the day I decided to give up my 'new girl every week' ways, I felt the need to try something new. I hadn't always been like that, a 'new girl every week.' When my relationship with Rikku ended and after the whole Crimson Squad experience, I just couldn't stick with one girl for long, until I met Mara, that is.

Baralai emerged after a couple of minutes and led us to the tent the five of us would be staying in. I wrapped my arm around Mara's waist, trying to be reassuring. She wasn't very happy when she found out that Rikku would be in the same tent as us; Something about Rikku making her nervous. This was something I understood, I'd seen the looks Rikku and Mara gave each other. I was nervous too, nervous one of them would kill the other.

We entered the tent, me and Mara first, Baralai a couple of steps behind to find Rikku and Paine awake, sitting up on their cots.

"Hey Guys!" I said quietly, didn't want to wake any other guests up.

Mara spoke next, "Hey Rikku, guess you're the only single one in our tent." She smiled at Rikku. _Shit. What is she thinking? _

It didn't seem to faze Rikku, however, she just smiled and said, "Yup. Just means I get to scope out all the hot single guys at the wedding." And for some reason, I felt I pang of anger and jealousy, wind through me. I wasn't liking this idea.

"Well, if you don't find one, I'll let you steal a dance with Gippal." Mara replied. I could tell she was trying make Rikku angry. I watched Rikku, her smile faded quickly, for a moment I thought she was going to charge Mara, which she probably deserved, but I stepped in front of Mara, back to Rikku anyways.

I raised my eyebrows at Mara and she quickly wiped the smirk off her face and quietly, so Rikku wouldn't hear, no doubt, whispered an apology, "Sorry."

"I'm going out. I'll see you guys in the morning." I turned around to see Rikku, walk out of the tent, into the cold, in her pajama short shorts and tank top.

"Rikku, wait!" I called after her, but she just kept going.

"Way to go, Mara." Paine said, lying back on her cot.

"Hey! It's not my fault she can't handle the fact that Gippal and I are in love." Mara snapped back, sitting down on her cot, rather please with herself.

"Could you look any happier about upsetting my best friend?" I asked her. I wish the two of them would just get along. It would make MY life a whole lot easier.

"Babe." Mara rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, I am, but I just don't like her. And she doesn't like me. You never talk with her about not upsetting me, and she does it all the time."

I was silent for a moment. I looked at the blanket on Rikku's cot. She'd freeze out there….

"I'll be back." I grab the blanket and start to head outside, but I'm stopped by Mara.

"Gippal, don't. She'll be fine."

"No she won't. I know Rikku. Someone needs to talk to her and since my girlfriend is the cause of her agitation, I think I'm obligated to be that person."

"Fine. But don't be out to long. You promised you'd pick up Aila in the morning."

"I know. But I wouldn't count on me being back until then."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I turn back towards the tent flap, "It means that as long as Rikku's out there, so will I." And I walked out, almost identical to the way Rikku did.

I found her lying on the sand on the beach closest to our tent. She had her eyes closed so I figured she was either thinking, or sleeping and I didn't want to disturb either. I walked through the sand as quietly as I could until I was right next to her. Slowly, I draped the blanket over her and sat down next to her. She didn't move, but I noticed a stray hair in her face. I brought my hand to her face and pushed the hair away. Now she moved slightly and I knew, she knew she wasn't alone anymore.

***Hope you liked it! R&R, please! :) Next chapter is on it's way!***


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